Strap clamp



W. HENNING June 22, 1965 STRAP CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1962 Wolfgang Henning /N VE N TOR.

fleslem, To 6 .lyaltm June 22, 1965 w. HENNING STRAP CLAMP Filed Oct. 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5

Wolfgang Henning IN VE N TOR.

Claims. ((51. 24-274 This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 165,475, filed January 9, 1962, now US. Patent No. 3,116,529. 1

My present invention relates to an improvement and further development of the subject matter disclosed in my above-mentioned patent. The subject of the patent is a strap clamp provided with a worm means engaging a rib surface, the said worm means or screw being secured to inclined gliding surfaces provided at the bracket by a cross piece or intermediate piece, so that, in tightening the screw a component of force presses the worm threads into the partial threads of the strap.

According to the present improvement and further de veloprnent of the invention the rear pair of two pairs of inclined gliding surfaces is outwardly open and is secured to the bracket in such manner that if the clamp is untightened the worm or screw is upwardly relievable. The worm can also be relieved before the clamp is adjusted. This upward relievability has the advantage of a relatively easy and secure handling when the clamp is to be fitted in place, and conversely an easy loosening if the clamp is to be removed.

Further details of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section of the strap in the region of the locking portions along line I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is the rear view of the lock of the strap in the direction of arrow II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the strap lock in the direction of arrow III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the lock and a part of the strap according to FIG. 1, but with a relieved clamp screw;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the strap lock and a par-t of the strap along the line of arrow V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the strap lock of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the strap lock according to the modification of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the strap lock along the line of arrow VIII of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the strap lock of FIG. 7 with relieved clamp screw.

The strap-clamp embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 15 comprises a bracket 84 of the strap lock 85 having a bottom 86 and two upstanding lateral walls 87 on opposite sides of the band 89. The bottom 86 is divided by two transverse slots 97; the one end 88 of the strap 89 FIG. 1 can pass through the bottom from underneath, if it is doubly cambered at the middle web 90.

The side walls 87 are each provided with a respective first inclined slot 92 receiving the pivot means 93 of the strap-screw bearing 94. The latter consists of a front plate 95 to which two bearing extremities 96 are laterally afiixed through which the pivot pin 93 is guided. The two ends of the bearing extremities projecting from the side walls 87 are flanged to secure the axle against axial movement.

Within a bore in the front plate 85 a pivot is accommodated which is provided at the end of the strap screw and is secured against axial movement by flange 100. The front plate 95 towards the rear and upwards defines a I United States Patent 0 "Ice curved cap 101, partially covering the strap screw at the top and bearing on the strap-screw thread 98.

At the end of cap 101, laterally extending portions or wings 102 are provided in such a way that during the stretching process the sense of length of these wings 102 is parallel to the sense of inclination of the slots 92. The side walls 87 at the rear edges are provided with additional or second inclined slots 103 parallel to the slots 92, open at the rear, in which the wings 102 are received after the free end 104 of the ribbed band is pushed through and after the tightening of the screw 98. If tightening is continued, the ends of the axle 93 will move in the slots 92 and the wings 102 in the slots 103 in the direction of arrow 105. Thus, with the increase of the stretching power, the strap screw is pressed more firmly into the partial threads of the rib end 104. There is no longer the danger of a stripping of the threads due to high tension force.

FIG. 4 shows the strap screw with its front plate and its cap in upstanding position. It is to be seen that, in this position considerable space below the strap screw is available for an easy handling of the free end 104 of the band. After the ribbed end 104 is adjusted, it is sufficient to swing the strap screw down towards the strap in the direction of arrow 106, until the lower parts of the thread of the strap screw engage the partial threads of the strap rib end 104. By turning the strap screw by means of a screw driver which is inserted in the screw slot 107, the strap is tightened. Attention must be paid to the requirement that the wings 102 are disposed in the open inclined slots 103.

According to FIGS. 6-9 a front plate 107 is loosely rivetted to the strap screw 98; but is not formed into a .cap. On the contrary, the pivot pin 108 extends over the two side walls 87, and around each of the projecting ends a hook 109 of a strap screw bow 110 is bent, the hooks fitting into an annular groove 111 at each end of the pin 108.

The side arms 112 of the bow 110 are outwardly guided along the side wall 87 and are combined with a crosspiece 113 curling over the upper part of the strap screw 98 and bearing upon it. During the stretching process the two ends of the cross-piece 113 are received in the rearwardly open slots 103 of the side walls 87.

I claim:

1. A strap clamp, comprising an elongated band provided with toothed portion having an array of longitudinally spaced transversely extending teeth; a bracket secured to said band and adapted to accommodate the toothed portion of said band, said bracket having a pair of upstanding lateral walls on opposite sides of said band, said walls being provided with aligned first slots inclined toward said band in a band-tightening direction opposite the movement of said toothed portion relatively to said bracket, said walls being formed with a pair of aligned second slots longitudinally spaced from said first slots rearwardly thereof in said direction and inclined toward said band in said direction, said second slots being open at corresponding rearward edges of said lateral walls; a screw-support member provided with pivot means at a forward end thereof slidably and rotatably received in said first slots to permit rotation of said member about said pivot means, said member being provided at a rearward end thereof with a pair of laterally extending portions removably receivable within said second slots; and a screw journaled in said member and shiftable therewith into engagement with said threads upon insertion of said laterally extending portions within said second slots whereby said first and second slots direct said screw into progressive engagement with said band upon rotation of said screw in a band-tightening sense.

2. A strap clamp, comprising an elongated band provided with toothed portion having an array of longitudinally spaced transversely extending teeth; a bracket secured to said band and adapted to accommodate the opposite the movement of said toothed portion relatively to said bracket, said walls being formed with a pair of aligned second slots longitudinally spaced from said first slots rearwardly thereof in said direction and inclined toward said band in said direction while being substantially parallel to said first slots, said second slots being open at corresponding rearward edges of said lateral walls; a screw-support member provided with pivot means at a foward end thereof slidably and rotatably received in said first slots to permit rotation of said member about said pivot means, said member being provided at a rearward end thereof with a pair of laterally extending portions removably receivable within said second slots; and a screw journaled in said member and shiftable therewith into engagement with said threads upon insertion of said laterally extending portions within said second slots whereby said first and second slots direct said screw into progressive engagement with said band upon rotation of said screw in a band-tightening sense.

3. A strap clamp as defined in claim 2 wherein said screw-support member comprises a sheet metal plate overlying said screw and conforming substantially to a cylinder segment, said plate having a transversely extending flange at a forward end thereof in which said screw is journaled.

4. A strap clamp as defined in claim 3 wherein said laterally extending portions are a pair of lateral flanges inclined in the direction of said band and forming elongated fianks engageable in said second slots.

5. A strap clamp as defined in claim 4 wherein said plate is formed with a pair of forwardly extending lugs closely juxtaposed respectively with said walls, and said pivot means comprises an axle connecting said lugs and extending through said first slots in said walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,211 12/41 Hathorn 24-274 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. M. HENSON WOOD, 1a., Examiner. 

1. A STRAP CLAMP, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BAND PROVIDED WITH TOOTHED PORTION HAVING AN ARRAY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING TEETH; A BRACKET SECURED TO SAID BAND AND ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE THE TOOTHED PORTION OF SAID BAND, SAID BRACKET HAVING A PAIR OF UPSTANDING LATERAL WALLS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BAND, SAID WALLS BEING PROVIDED WITH ALIGNED FIRST SLOTS INCLINED TOWARD SAID BAND IN A BAND-TIGHTENING DIRECTION OPPOSITE THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TOOTHED PORTION RELATIVELY TO SAID BRACKET, SAID WALLS BEING FORMED WITH A PAIR OF ALIGNED SECOND SLOTS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST SLOTS REARWARDLY THEREOF IN SAID DIRECTION AND INCLINED TOWARD SAID BAND IN SAID DIRECTION, SAID SECOND SLOTS BEING OPEN AT CORRESPONDING REARWARD EDGES OF SAID LATERAL WALLS; A SCREW-SUPPORT MEMBER PROVIDED WITH PIVOT MEANS AT A FORWARD END THEREOF SLIDABLY AND ROTATABLY RECEIVED FIG -01 IN SAID FIRST SLOTS TO PERMIT ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS, SAID MEMBER BEING PROVIDED AT A REARWARD END THEREOF WITH A PAIR OF LATERALLY EXTENDING PORTIONS REMOVABLY RECEIVABLE WITHIN SAID SECOND SLOTS: AND A SCREW JOURNALED IN SAID MEMBER AND SHIFTABLE THEREWITH INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THREADS UPON INSERTION OF SAID LATERALLY EXTENDING PORTIONS WITHIN SAID SECOND SLOTS WHEREBY SAID FIRST AND SECOND SLOTS DIRECT SAID SCREW INTO PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BAND UPON ROTATION OF SAID SCREW IN A BAND-TIGHTENING SENSE. 